Card punch

ABSTRACT

A card punch has a card insertion slot communicating with a card receiving passage, and receiving members are mounted for movement into and out of the passage. An operating device controls such movement to control the depth of insertion of a card through the slot into the passage. A plurality of punch pins are mounted for reciprocation across the passage to punch holes in a card, and a striking member is movable toward the passage and formed with a number of holes each aligned with a respective punch pin. A plurality of shield members are selectively interposable, in an operative position, between an end of a respective punch pin and the associated opening in the striking member, and cam means control movement of the shield members to the operative positions. A timing device operates the cam means to move the shield members to the operative position only at respective indicated times whereby, at any selected instant, only those shield members corresponding to the indicated time are in the operative position. A push button is selectively actuable at any selected instant to energize a solenoid to move the striking member to cause only those punch pins then having the associated shield member in the operative position to move across the passage to punch holes in a card in the passage.

United States Patent [191 Fujimoto 1 CARD PUNCH [75] Inventor: Sakae Fujimoto, Tokyo, Japan [73] Assignee: Kabushikl Kalsha Rlcoh, Tokyo,

Japan [22] Filed: Oct. 22, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 83,108

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Oct. 31, 1969 Japan ..44/87784 [52] US. Cl. ..346/83, 346/91 [51 Int. Cl. ..G07 1/06 [58] Field of Search ..346/82, 83, 84, 87, 91, 104,

[56] References Cited Primary Examiner-Joseph W. Hartary Attorney-McGlew and Toren 5] March 6, 1973 [57] ABSTRACT A card punch has a card insertion slot communicating with a card receiving passage, and receiving members are mounted for movement into and out of the passage. An operating device controls such movement to control the depth of insertion of a card through the slot into the passage. Aplurality of punch pins are mounted for reciprocation across the passage to punch holes in a card, and a striking member is movable toward the passage and formed with a number of holes each aligned with a respective punch pin. A plurality of shield members are selectively interposable, in an operative position, between an end of a respective punch pin and the associated opening in the striking member, and cam means control movement of the shield members to the operative positions. A timing device operates the cam means to move the shield members to the operative position only at respective indicated times whereby, at any selected instant, only those shield members corresponding to the indicated time are in the operative position. A push button is selectively actuable at any selected instant to energize a solenoid to move the striking member to cause only those punch pins then having the associated shield member in .the operative position to move across the passage to punch holes in a card in the passage.

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INVENTOR. SA RAE FUJI MOTO mWw amo m ATTORNEYS CARD PUNCH BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Various devices have been employed for punching holes in a card, but all are complex in structure and difficult to handle and operate, and very few card punch devices have a compact overall size and are adapted for practical use. However, with the advance in computer technology, the importance of card punches and card readers, as auxiliary equipment of a computer, is increasing. Consequently, ease of handling and operation of a card punch is a primary requirement in order that the card punch may be practically usable.

A card punch which is complex in construction, and consequently troublesome to handle and operate, is disadvantageous particularly in cases where the card punch is used to examine operation efficiency by recording, on a card, the time required for an operation. In such a case, time intervals required for performing various steps of an operation are recorded, with the hours and minutes as a unit, and the hours and minutes are then added. Since the holes punched in the card represent time, it may take time, with known card punches, to punch holes in the card, making it impossible to record accurately the time intervals required for various steps of an operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to card punches and, more particularly, to a new, improved and simplified card punch for recording rapidly and accurately, on a punched card, time indications, such as the time required to perform various steps of an operation.

In accordance with the invention, a card punch is enclosed in a housing having an openable front door and formed with a card insertion slit in its top wall and leading to a card passage. Adjacent the slit, there is an operating button controlling operation of the punch to punch an indicated time in a card inserted in the passage. The front face of the door is provided with openings through which there are displayed time indications, and also receive-s an operation chart. A window in the front door enables viewing of a manually settable indicator which may be aligned with any particular operation indication. This indicator is cooperable with receiving members movable into and out of the card passage, so that the depth to which the card is inserted into the passage corresponds to the position to which the indicator has been manually moved.

Time indicator punch pins are mounted for reciprocation across the card passage, and a striking member is movable toward the passage and formed with a number of holes each aligned with a respective punch pin. A plurality of shield members are selectively interposable, in an operative position, between the end of a respective punch and the associated opening in the striking member. A cam means controls movement of the shield members to the operative positions, and a timing device operates the cam means to move shield members to the operative position only at respective indicating times so that, at any selected instant, only those shield members corresponding to the indicated time are in the operative position. The timing means is operated by a synchronous motor which is energized responsive to closing of the front door after the punch has had electric potential applied to its operating circuitry. Y

At the end of the time to be measured, such as the time required to perform one step of a machining operation, for example, a card is inserted into the card passage and the push button is depressed to effect energization of a solenoid which moves the striking member toward the passage to punch holes in the card corresponding to the indicated time at which the push button is depressed.

An object of the invention is to provide a card punch operable to punch, in a card, small holes indicating time and in predetermined positions so that the time required for a particular machining operation or the like can be recorded on the card.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a card punch in which the depth of insertion of a card into a card receiving passage can be adjusted in accordance with the type of machining operation or the like to be timed, and including an operation indicating means so that the types of operation can be recognized externally of the card punch.

A further object of the invention is to provide a card punch including a novel hole punching mechanism operatively connected to time indicating dials.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a card punch which is simple in construction, substantially'free of undue maintenance, and easy to handle and operate.

For an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference is made to the following description of a typical embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the Drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a card punch embodying the invention;

FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 are, respectively, front elevation, right side elevation and top plan views of the card punch shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a card before holes are punched thereinto;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the card shown in FIG. 5 after punching;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the casing or housing and its associated front door, with the interior components of the casing being removed and the front door or cover being open;

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a locking mechanism for the front door or cover;

FIG. 9 is a front elevation view of the internal structure of the card punch showing only the front portion of the structure;

FIG. 10 is a front elevation view of the internal structure of the card punch showing only the rear portion of the internal structure;

FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of various 'movable elements of the internal structure mounted between left and right base plates, with the right base plate being removed;

FIG. 12 is a right side elevation view of the internal structure showing the arrangement of various parts of the outer surface of the right base plate;

FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of mechanism for actuating an indication member and card receiving member;

FIG. 14 is a part elevation view, partly in section, of an operating knob for actuating the indication member;

FIGS. 15A and 15B are elevation views illustrating two different positions of a mechanism for arresting rotation of the knob shown in FIGS. 13 and 14;

FIGS. 16, 17 and 18 are, respectively, a front elevation view, a side elevation view and an exploded perspective view of a clutch mechanism and associated cam means;

FIG. 19 is a side elevation view, looking from the left, of the internal structure of the card punch and showing the arrangement of various movable parts on the outer surface of the left base plate;

FIG. 20 is an exploded perspective view of a mechanism for actuating hours" opening shield members, mounted on the outer surface of the left base plate;

FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a switch-closing time holding member of a mechanism for actuating minutes opening shield members;

FIG. 22 is a view similar to FIG. 21 of a switch closing time holding member of a mechanism for actuating minutes-in-tens opening shield members;

FIGS. 23a-23d are elevation views showing the phases of ratchet wheels of mechanisms for indicating the time of day, the hours, the minutes-in-tens, and the minutes in units;

FIGS. 24a 24d are elevation views showing the phases of cam discs for actuating the opening shield members for the time of day, the hours, the minutes-intens, and the minutes in units;

FIGS. 25, 26 and 27 are elevation views showing the operation of the ratchet wheel mechanism for the minutes in units;

FIG. 28 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line XX ofFIG. 9;

FIG. 29 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line YY of FIG. 9 and showing the card punch as operated to punch holes in a card;

FIG. 30 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating some of the punch pins; and

FIG. 31 is a schematic wiring diagram of the electric circuitry for the illustrated embodiment of the card punch.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The invention will be explained with reference to an embodiment in which the card punch is used for recording, on a card bypunching holes therein, the time interval required for performing a machining operation with a lathe, milling machine, gear cutting machine, drilling machine, grinding machine, or the like.

Referring to FIG. 1, a vertically elongated casing 1 comprises a body la and a front cover lb which is hinged to body la by hinges 2, 2 as illustrated more particularly in FIG. 7, so that cover lb swings open forwardly and to the left. An insertion slit 1c, for a card 3 shown in FIGS. and 6, is formed near the forward edge of the upper wall of body la and extends parallel to the front edge of the body. The position in which a card 3 inserted through slit 1c is arrested is controlled by receiving members described more fully hereinafter, and which are adapted to be operated by an operation knob 4 on the lower portion of the right side wall of body la. By rotating knob 4, a pointer 5, which is exposed to view in a vertically elongated window 8b of an indication frame 1d on the front surface of cover 1b can be moved up and down.

Referring to FIG. 3, indication frame 1d is secured to the front surface of cover lb, and the cover portion un- 5 derlying frame 1d is cut-out and a transparent plate 6 is fitted into the cut-out. Plate 6 is secured to the inner surface of cover 1b by rectangular retaining members 7, 7, shown in FIGS. 3 and 7. As shown in FIG. 7, a style strip 8 is positioned on the rear surface of transparent plate 6, and is held in position by projections 8a on its upper and lower edges rotatably engaged in supports 9 on the inner surface of cover 1b adjacent its edge flanges. Strip 8 normally is biased against transparent plate 6 by springs 10 on projections 8a.

Vertically elongated windows 8b and 8c are formed adjacent the right and left edges of strip 8. Window 8b makes it possible to see, from the exterior, the pointer 5 which extends horizontally and is moved vertically by the internal structure described hereinafter. A style strip 11 is fitted in window 8c, and is formed with four square openings 11a, 11b, 11c and 11d, which are spaced apart equally in a vertical direction. From the top to the bottom, these four openings indicate whether it is morning or afternoon, the hours, the minutes-intens, and the minutes in units, as will be noted from FIGS. 1 and 2.

As best seen in FIG. 7, style strip 8 has an upper marginal portion 8d which is bent rearwardly and a lower marginal portion 8e which is bent forwardly. A work sheet 12, on which there are entered the items of the operations to be timed, is inserted in a space between transparent plate 6 and style strip 8. Ten items of operations, such as Work Begun, Work Finished, Lathe," Milling Machine, Gear Cutting Machine, Drilling Machine, Grinding Machine 1," Grinding Machine 2, Finishing" and Inspection" are entered on work sheet 12 in the indicated order from top to bottom. Pointer 5 is adapted to be moved by knob 4 between these various positions to set, correspondingly, the depth of insertion of a card into the card punch.

The top wall of body la carries, forwardly of insertion slip 1c, a punch button 13 which fits loosely, from the inside, through an opening 1e. Button 13 is supported on a free end portion 14a of a leaf spring 14 having its fixed portion secured to the inner surface of the top wall of body 10, so that button 13 is normally biased upwardly by spring 14 to project upwardly from opening le.

A microswitch Sw is positioned below button 13. If button 13 is depressed, when a card is to be punched, switch Sw is actuated to effect actuation of the internal structure, described hereinafter, so that the holes representing the time can be instantaneously punched in a card.

In addition to the components already described, an L-shaped member 15 and a stepped member 16 are secured to the upper and lower portions, respectively, of the inner surface of cover 1b. Member 15 has a short leg secured to the flange at the free edge of cover lb, and a long leg 15a which is arranged to have its end close a main switch SW0, shown in FIGS. 9, l2 and 31 and included in the internal structure, when cover 1b is closed. The base of member 16 is secured to the inner surface of a bottom flange of cover 1b substantially 

1. A card punch comprising, in combination, means forming a card insertion slot communicatiNg with a card receiving passage; receiving members mounted for movement into and out of said passage; an operation device controlling movement of said receiving members into and out of said passage to control the depth of insertion of a card through said slot into said passage; a plurality of punch pins mounted for reciprocation across said passage to punch holes in a card therein; a striking member movable towards said passage and formed with a number of holes equal to the number of punch pins and each aligned with a respective punch pin having a first end adjacent a card in said passage and a second end adjacent but spaced from said striking member and enterable into a respective associated hole in said striking member, unless blocked, upon such movement of said striking member; a plurality of shield members equal in number to the number of punch pins and each selectively interposable, in an operative position, between the second end of a respective punch pin and the associated opening in said striking member to block the respective punch pin entering the associated opening upon striking movement of said striking member; respective cam means effecting movement of said shield members to such operative positions; a timing device operating said cam means to move said shield members to the operative positions only at respective indicated times whereby, at any selected instant, only those shield members corresponding to the indicated time are in the operative positions; and means selectively actuable at any selected instant to move said striking member to cause only those punch pins then having the associated shield member in the operative position to move across said passage to punch holes in a card in the passage.
 1. A card punch comprising, in combination, means forming a card insertion slot communicatiNg with a card receiving passage; receiving members mounted for movement into and out of said passage; an operation device controlling movement of said receiving members into and out of said passage to control the depth of insertion of a card through said slot into said passage; a plurality of punch pins mounted for reciprocation across said passage to punch holes in a card therein; a striking member movable towards said passage and formed with a number of holes equal to the number of punch pins and each aligned with a respective punch pin having a first end adjacent a card in said passage and a second end adjacent but spaced from said striking member and enterable into a respective associated hole in said striking member, unless blocked, upon such movement of said striking member; a plurality of shield members equal in number to the number of punch pins and each selectively interposable, in an operative position, between the second end of a respective punch pin and the associated opening in said striking member to block the respective punch pin entering the associated opening upon striking movement of said striking member; respective cam means effecting movement of said shield members to such operative positions; a timing device operating said cam means to move said shield members to the operative positions only at respective indicated times whereby, at any selected instant, only those shield members corresponding to the indicated time are in the operative positions; and means selectively actuable at any selected instant to move said striking member to cause only those punch pins then having the associated shield member in the operative position to move across said passage to punch holes in a card in the passage.
 2. A card punch, as claimed in claim 1, including an indicator, visible from the exterior of said card punch, and positioned by said operation device to indicate the depth of card insertion selected by said operation device.
 3. A card punch, as claimed in claim 1, in which said punch pins are arranged in three sets, one set of punch pins punching holes indicating the hours, the second set punching holes indicating the minutes-in-tens and the third set of punch pins punching holes indicating the minutes-in-units.
 4. A card punch, as claimed in claim 3, in which said punch pins punch further holes indicating whether the time is ''''AM'''' or ''''PM.''''
 5. A card punch, as claimed in claim 1, in which said punch pins are arranged in first, second and third rows, said first row including eleven punch pins indicating the time in hours, said second row including five punch pins indicating the minutes-in-tens, and said third row including nine punch pins indicating the minutes-in-units; said shield members being arranged in three sets, with each set being operatively associated with a respective row of punch pins; said cam means including first, second and third cam means each controlling movement of the shield members of a respective set; each cam means moving its controlled shield members successively to the operative position, and retracting its controlled shield members, from one end of the associated row of punch pins to the other.
 6. A card punch, as claimed in claim 5, including first, second and third rotatable shafts each having one set of cam means secured to rotate therewith; said first, second and third shafts being correlated with said first, second and third rows of pins through the cam-controlled shield members; first, second and third stepping cams secured to said first, second and third shafts, respectively; first, second and third stepping means each associated with said first, second and third stepping cams, respectively; said third shaft performing one complete rotation in 10 steps, said second shaft performing one complete rotation in six steps, and said first shaft performing one complete rotation in 12 steps; a synchronous motor operable at 1 RPM; means connecting said synchronous motor to said third stepping mEans and operable, responsive to each rotation of said synchronous motor, to effect rotation of said third stepping cam through one step; means connecting said third stepping cam to said second stepping device and operable, responsive to one complete rotation of said third stepping cam, to effect rotation of said second stepping cam through one step; and means connecting said second stepping cam to said first stepping device and operable, responsive to one complete rotation of said second stepping cam to rotate said first stepping cam through one step.
 7. A card punch, as claimed in claim 5, in which each of the shield member controlling cams on a respective shaft comprises a peripheral portion engageable with an abutment on the associated shield member to move the latter to the operative position; the peripheral portions of axially successive controlling cams being staggered angularly with respect to each other.
 8. A card punch, as claimed in claim 1, including a casing in which the components of said punch are mounted; a front door controlling access to the interior of said casing; and a normally opened switch in said casing controlling connection of said punch through a source of electric potential and closed only responsive to closing of said front door.
 9. A card punch, as claimed in claim 1, in which said last named means comprises a solenoid connected to said striking member to move the latter toward said passage; and a ''''punch'''' button controlled switch controlling energization of said solenoid. 